This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
We appreciate so many things at Thanksgiving, it's fitting that we express gratitude for the abundance that fossil fuel energy has provided. Modern civilization with our lengthened life spans, comfortable homes, wondrous technology and so much more has come about because of the power of coal, oil and natural gas.
But there is a dark underbelly to this abundance. And it is not just our sickening and deadly winter inversions (See "New Research: Bad air can literally cause a heart attack," Tribune, Nov. 8), the 1,400 Utah coal miners who have died extracting coal for our use (See "Price dedicates memorial to miners killed in county's coal mines, Tribune Sept. 7), or oil spills such as the ones that contaminated Red Butte Creek and devastated the Gulf of Mexico. Invisible greenhouse gases that humans are pumping into our atmosphere as we burn fossil fuels create the most insidious and damaging dark side. These gases are dangerously warming our planet and threatening our Utah ski industry, water supplies, and forests.
Not only are these gases damaging our planet, they are damaging our health, especially that of our children. Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics released an official statement, "Global Climate Change and Children's Health." They state, "Climate change poses threats to human health, safety, and security, and children are uniquely vulnerable to these threats." The statement outlines the many ways in which climate change threatens children's health, from intolerable heat to extreme weather events. They call for action at all levels: personal, city, state, nation, and international.
Virtually every religion has a statement regarding the need to address climate change and/or to be good stewards of the earth. The LDS Newsroom website Environmental Stewardship and Conservation quotes Apostle Russell M. Nelson, "We should care for the earth and preserve it for future generations." When Pope Francis was at the White House in September, he admonished, "Climate change is a problem that can no longer be left to future generations."
As the United Nations prepares for the COP21 summit in Paris starting Nov. 30, consensus is beginning to emerge that pricing carbon is the most equitable, transparent and effective way to speed the transition from fossil fuels to abundant, everlasting clean energy. Currently 40 countries and jurisdictions are pricing or considering pricing carbon. Even Gov. Gary Herbert recently stated, "A carbon tax certainly has been talked about; I don't know if I'm quite with a carbon tax yet, but I certainly think it can be reviewed."
The non-partisan Citizens' Climate Lobby advocates placing a fee on carbon fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) at the source, and returning all of the proceeds to the American public. As George Shultz , former secretary of the treasury and secretary of state under Ronald Reagan, explains, because the money is returned to households and not used for government programs, is it a "fee" and not a tax. A carbon fee/dividend policy actually creates an opportunity, as it will spur innovation, strengthen the economy, and create jobs, while decreasing deaths from air pollution.
And now congressional Republicans are beginning to consider climate change actions, including a fee on carbon. On Sept. 15, Rep. Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., introduced a resolution expressing a "commitment of the House of Representatives to conservative environmental stewardship," including finding solutions to climate change. There are 11 Republican co-sponsors to this resolution. And in the Senate, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., announced the formation of the Senate Energy and Environment Working Group that is made up of four Republican senators.
There are moral, economic and health imperatives to mitigate the severe damage of climate change that will come if the world doesn't transition rapidly to clean energy. Will our Utah senators and representatives join the growing ranks of congressmen and congresswomen who acknowledge this? Reps. Rob Bishop, Chris Stewart, Jason Chaffetz and Mia Love can co-sponsor the Chris Gibson resolution and Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee can join Sen. Ayotte's working group. At this holiday time, we thank our members of Congress for their service, and ask them join with other Republicans to create a better future and avoid the most severe disruptions of climate change.
David Folland, M.D., is a retired pediatrician and volunteer co-leader for Salt Lake City Chapter of the non-partisan, non-profit Citizens' Climate Lobby.